Fish-hook.



Nn. 687,38I. Patented Nov. 26, I90I. S, A. MCCULLUUGH.

FISH HUUK.

(Application led Apr` 16, 1901.)

(No Model.)

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llNiTnn STATES 5 'PATENT UFFICEE.

SAMUEL A. MCGULLUGH, OF NEW YORK, N.. Y.

FISH-HOOK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Eatent No. 687,381, dated November 26, 1901.

Application iiled April 16, 1901.

.To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL A. MCCUL- LOUGH, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing in the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Fish-Hooks, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the invention is to provide a construction in which the iish when hooked will be less likely to escape.

I arrange two hooks with their points facing each other and their Shanks looped together in such manner that one may slide upon the other. At one extreme of this sliding movement the hooks are widely separated and when thus conditioned one of the hooks is baited. A pull by a lish on the baited hook is sufficient to overcome the slight resistance offered and the resulting movement brings both hooks into such relation that both grasp the fish, as will be hereinafter more fully described.

The accompanying drawings form a part of this .specification and show the invention as I have carried it out.

Figure lis a side view showing the device in the open condition, and Fig. 2 is a corresponding view showing the position assumed by the parts in action. Fig. 3 is an edge View corresponding to Fig. l.

Similar letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.

The hook A, which I will for convenience in describing term the bait-hook, has its shank bent at an obtuse an gle at A',and thence extends rearwardly in a straight portion A2, terminating in an eye A3. The other hook B, which I will term the galf-hook, has its shank bent to an approximately V- form, with one arm longer than the other, and the bight or angle passes through the eye A3. The springof the wire tends to keep the arms separated, and any movement of the eye A3 along the arms in the direction of the hook B tends to draw the arms together, as will be readily understood. The long straight portion of the shank carrying the ga-hook is marked B', the bend is marked B2, and the short arm B3. The latter is looped at its end at B4 about the straight portion A2 ofthe baithook shank, and thus holds and guides it. A

Serial No. 561054. (No model.)

slight bend or angle B5 is produced in the shank or arm B at apoint near the bend B2, and when the hooks are in the separated condition is lightly engaged by the eye A3 and oifers a slight easily-yielding resistance to the sliding movement.

Both hooks and their shanks lie in the same plane, as indicated in Fig. 3. The line C is attached to the bend B2 and holds the gaifhook and its parts relatively stationary.

The operation is as follows: The shank of the hook A is slid rearwardly upon the arms B' B3 until the angle B5 is engaged in the loop or eye A3 and the hooks lie separated, as in Fig. 1, with the bait on the short hook A. A sufiicient pull by a fish attacking the bait-hook overcomes the slight resistance offered by the engagement of the bend B5 and i., eye A3 and draws the latter forward, thus causing the arms B B3 to assume a more nearly parallel position until, if the pull be continued, the gaff-hook and bait-hook approach so nearly, as shown in Fig. 2, that a sh on the bait-hook will be caught also by the gaff-hook and the chance of escape greatly lessened.

It will be observed that the lines of movement of the barbed points of both hooks are such as to present the gai-hook most favorably for engagement and also that when the arms of the gaff-hook are nearly parallel, as in Fig. 2, they are securely held by the eye A3, so that the hooks can be separated again only by again sliding the eye rearwardly upon the arms. When in the closed condition, the device is further stiffened by the pressure of the angle B5 against the arm B3, as indicated at b in Fig. 2, and also by reason of the fact that when in this position the free portion of the arm B is considerably reduced in length.

The type of hook used and the sizes and proportions of the parts may be varied as conditions or individual preferences may decide.

Both hooks may be baited, if preferred. The ga-hook in such case serves also as an ordinary hook in addition to the above-de scribed function.

I claim- 1. Abait-hook andits shank, and eye thereon, in combination with a gaff-hook having its shank bent to form two divergent arms inclosed in said eye, a loop on one of said rco Vzo

. arms encircling said bait-hook shank, the latterarranged to slide relatively to said arms and by the movement of said eye cause the arms to approach and separate and thereby correspondingly move said hooks to and from each other, all substantially as herein specitied.

2. A bait-hook and its shank, and eye thereon, in combination With a gait-hook having its shank bent to form two divergent arms inclosed in said eye, a loop on vone of said arms encircling said bait-hook shank, the latter arranged to slide upon said arms and by such movement of said eye to cause the arms to approach and separate and thereby correspondingly move said hooks toward and from each other, and means for yieldingly holding said arms in the separated condition, all substantially as and for the purposes herein specified.

3. The bait-hook A, shank A2'and eye A3 thereon, in combination With the gaff-hook B arm Bl thereon, bend B2 and arm B3 having the loop B1 encircling said shank, the said Varms inclosed in said eye, the latter and its said hooks to approach and separate, all arranged to serve substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. The bait-hook A, shank A2 and eye A3 thereon, in combination with the gait-hook B, arm B thereon, bend B2 and arm VB3 having the loop B4 encircling said shank, the said arms inclosed in said eye, the latter and its shank free to slide thereon and thereby cause said hooks to approach and separate, and the angle B5 in said arm B adapted to engage said eye and yieldingly hold said hooks in the separated condition,all arranged to serve substantially as and for the purposes herein specified.

In testimony that I claim the invention above set forth I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

SAMUEL A. MCCULLOUGH.

Vitnesses:

` RoBT. CONNOR,

CHARLES R. SEARLE. 

